Proud Of Your Boy
by Little Miss Thalia Grace
Summary: Merope meets Tom.


**A/N: This dedicated to my mother, who's birthday is coming up. I love you mummy!**

**Also dedicated to KK94 and my awesome Beta NimueTheSoreceress. **

**In other words... THIS IS MY 50TH FIC!**

**And like the 50 others, I don't own.**

**Proud Of Your Boy**

Tom found himself surrounded by a fascinating array of colours, all swirling around him, forming different shapes and designs. He was standing right in the middle, where it felt he was on flat ground, but there was only more colours.

It was the strangest dream Tom had ever had in his short seven years of life.

What was even weirder, though, was the woman stood in front of him. He had never seen her face before, and she certainly wasn't anything nice to look at, but Tom instantly seemed to know who she was.

"M-Mummy?" He asked tentatively.

When the woman smiled, nodded, and opened her arms Tom wasted no time in running into them. "Shh, Tommy, It's okay." She soothed while stroking his hair gently. "It's alright..."

"M-Mum-you... I... How?" He stuttered feeling confused. Tom didn't like being confused. He took a breath to try and form a complete sentence. "H-How are you... alive? T-They told me you were d-dead..."

Merope smiled gently. "I am dead," she said much to his disappointment. Then she continued, "But this is your dream. Your dream is to someday have a family, someone to hold you and love you, so that's what I am."

"So you're not real. You're only here because I want you to be here." Tom felt another part of his damaged heart die at the statement.

"No, you wanting me here is the reason I'm allowed here." This still didn't make much sense to Tom, but he decided to let it be. He was going to just enjoy this time with his mother as best as he could.

Apparently, Merope sensed the need for subject change, because she reached over to touch his cheek. "You look so much like your daddy, even at this age."

Tom perked up. "Dad? Where is he? Why isn't he here?" Tom looked around as though an older version of him would appear within the colours.

Merope gave him a sad smile. "Your father isn't dead, Tommy."

Tom felt his insides turn hollow. "Does that mean he abandoned you? That he abandoned us?"

When Merope didn't answer right away, Tom felt tears roll down his cheeks. For so long, he pictured his father as this big hero, someone who would do anything to help others and died in an epic battle, or someone that would come and take him away from this horrid place they called an orphanage. But now, to know all that hoping was in vain...

"Look, it's..." She trailed off, obviously trying to think of what to say, "it's complicated."

"So he ditched us." Tom persisted, watching his mother's facial expressions carefully.

"...Yes, he did." She relented, and Tom felt a thread of satisfaction enter the hollow numbness. "But you can't blame him, Tom. It wasn't his fault. He just..." She trailed off, but Tom got the message.

"Don't worry mum, no ultimate revenge plans and indistinguishable hatred for my Father." Tom was lying through his teeth, but the smile on his mother's face was worth it.

She pulled him into another hug. "I love you Tommy. So much."

"I... I love you too, mum." It felt weird to say the foreign words. Not necessarily bad, but... Unusual. Unknown. He had never said those words before. He had never had a reason to.

They stayed like that while, then the clours started suddenly disappearing. "W-What's happening? Mum!" His mother was starting to disappear along with the colours.

"It's time to wake up now, Tommy." Her voice was light and she was smiling, but her eyes were sad. They were the same dark shade as Tom's own.

"But... will I see you again?"

"Eventually. But I can't stay here. You need to get back to the real world."

Tom felt tears enter his eyes. Why did nobody want to stay with him? "Goodbye then, mum."

She gave him a soft smile "Bye Tommy,"

As the scene began to fade, Tom had sudden inspiration flow through him. "I'll make you proud, mum." He called. "You'll be proud that I'm your son. I promise."

The scene faded into darkness completely, and Tom awoke in his dingy bed with a new purpose.

But if he had stayed in the dream a moment longer, he would have heard a soft, teary voice whisper, "I already am."

**End.**


End file.
